Last week in the NHL: Senators goalie runs to arena with gear in hand due to Ottawa traffic, Paul Bissonnette assault video released

Every week, we’ll update you on all the important musings in the hockey world over the past seven days — from the NHL and beyond.

There were plenty of viral happenings around the game last week, including an EBUG sighting on the side of an Ottawa road, footage of the infamous Paul Bissonnette assault in Arizona, Sean Higgins indicted over death of the Gaudreau brothers, Justin Schultz calling it a career, rumblings over a stacked Team Italy squad for 2026, McDavid dazzling, Matthews falling, and a wild line brawl in Winnipeg.

Here’s the top sights, sounds and news you might have missed in hockey last week.

Senators ‘EBUG’ goes viral after wild journey to arena

Another hilarious chapter was added to “EBUG” folklore this past weekend, as a video of 22-year-old University of Ottawa goaltender Zach Dietz sprinting towards the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Saturday night has gone viral.

According to the Ottawa Citizen, Dietz, the team’s emergency backup goaltender (EBUG), was told at 5:50 p.m. that he had to get to the rink ASAP because Senators goalie Anton Forsberg got hurt.

Dietz and his girlfriend, Charley Healey, stuck in traffic, decided the the only way to make the game on time was to run to the arena with his full gear in hand.

Dietz detailed his hilarious journey to the Citizen:

“I was going to miss warmup due to the traffic and everything, but I was talking to (Healey) and I was saying, ‘If I can jump out of the car and run I can get there quicker’ than staying in the car,” Dietz said.

“We both agreed that if I was going to get there as quick as I can, we’ve got to do it by whatever means possible. She’s as big a fan of hockey as I am and she plays for the women’s team at the University of Ottawa so she was like, ‘Hey, get there as quick as you can and I’ll jump in the driver’s seat.’ We just changed out. I put the car in park, she jumped in from the passenger’s seat and I grabbed my gear and started running.

“I could see the building so I thought I’d keep going until I get there before she does or she catches up to me.”

The Senators have three “EBUGs” available to the team, and all play for the University of Ottawa GeeGees. Last season, Diets was forced to dress and sit on the bench when Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll got hurt.

A video showing former NHL player and popular “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast host Paul Bissonnette being assaulted outside a bar in Scottsdale, Arizona was released by police last week.

Bissonnette in a Spittin’ Chiclets episode said he was hanging out at Houston’s restaurant on Nov. 24 when he stepped in to help restaurant staff after a man appeared to get physical with an employee at the establishment.

Footage of the melee, which was released by the Scottsdale Police Department on Dec. 10, shows the fight breaking out inside Houston’s before spilling over into an adjacent parking lot.

Bissonnette detailed the incident on the Nov. 26 episode of Spittin’ Chiclets:

“I said, ‘Listen guy, if you keep harassing and assaulting the staff, we’re going to go outside and have some problems.’ The minute that left my mouth, the guys starts swinging, and the next thing you know, four guys start swinging at me,” the former NHLer said.

“I ate three kicks: one in the neck two in the head. Was able to get up, and at this point now, I have no shoes on. I got my pants, no shirt. I’m finally able to run into CVS, and they didn’t come into CVS. Thankfully, the cops were called right away.”

The suspects, according to fox10pheonix.com and various other reports, have been identified as Henry Mesker, Danny Bradley, John G. Carroll, William J. Carroll, Sean Daley and Edward Jennings.

Grand jury indicts alleged impaired driver involved in deaths of Gaudreau brothers

The alleged drunk driver who struck and killed former NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, in August has been indicted by a grand jury in Salem County, New Jersey.

According to the indictment, obtained by CNN, Higgins is charged with two counts of reckless vehicular homicide, two counts of aggravated manslaughter, tampering with physical evidence and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

Footage from police body cams documenting Higgins’ arrest also surfaced across social media last week:

Gaudreau brothers were fatally struck by Higgins’ vehicle while riding bikes on a New Jersey highway on the eve of their sister’s wedding — in which they were to supposed to serve as groomsmen.

Prosecutors said Higgins was “legally drunk” with a blood-alcohol level of 0.087 at the time of the crash.

Higgins, who faces up to 20 years in federal prison, is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 7, 2025, per CNN.

Two-time Cup winner Justin Schultz officially calls it a career

Former NHL defenseman Justin Schultz has officially hung up the skates after 12-year NHL career.

The 34-year-old, who was unable to secure an NHL deal for the 2024-25 campaign, signed with HC Lugano in Switzerland to start the season — playing eight games and tallying six assists in the top Swiss league.

In a statement released on Friday, Lugano announced that Schultz will be leaving the club and returning back to Canada, ending his professional hockey career for “personal reasons.”

The Kelowna native was taken 43rd overall by Anaheim in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft but, after three seasons at the University of Wisconsin, Schultz chose to head to free agency before signing with the Edmonton Oilers in 2012 to begin his NHL career.

He was eventually traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins where he won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. Schultz finishes his NHL career with 71 goals and 324 points over 745 games spent with the Oilers, Penguins, Washington Capitals and Seattle Kraken.

Team Italy could be legit for 2026 Olympics

Italy is one of the last nations you think of as potential a Olympic medal contender in hockey, but a potential rule switch could see the Italian side be a force to reckon with when the 2026 Games kick off in 14 months or so.

European hockey reporter Bernd Freimueller sparked some conversation last week with the following post on X:

“Confirmed by several sources: The NHL is eager to allow their players with Italian ancestors to play for Italy at the Olympics. That would mean bypassing the 16-months-rule that players have to play in Italy to be eligible. We will see what the IIHF has to say about this…”

The post had some taking to social media to draft up their potential “Team Italy” rosters — and the squad looks pretty damn good.

Best on best international competition returns this winter for the first time since 2016 with Canada, USA, Sweden and Finland set to clash in the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.

Italy will automatically qualify for the 2026 Olympic men’s hockey competition — which will feature 12 teams total — as the host side.

Goal of the week: McDavid dazzles

No. 97 was back at it again last week against the Tampa Bay Lightning, turning a 1-on-3 into a highlight-reel goal in the way only McJesus can.

Scrap of the week: Mayhem in Manitoba

This week’s top tilt was actually a wild brawl that broke in in the 3rd period of a Jets-Bruins contest last week.

With time slowly ticking down in a Jets blowout win, all hell broke lose with not one, not two, but three fights breaking out essentially at the same time.

Blooper of the week: Matthews blows a blade

Sometimes, even the greatest players in the world need a little help from their friends — especially after a classic skate-blade malfunction.

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